Keep Westmount School Boundaries the Same!

Westmount School, opened in 2012-13, is the brick and mortar of Westmount and Cimarron communities. It's the place our children and families gather, to learn, discover and grow. It has outstanding programs like peer mediator, 7 Habits, patrols, Outdoor Education, the new Nature School program, special needs programs, sports teams, and many more. Our parents have invested time, energy and money into the school that turned it into a prosperous, vibrant and the 'envy' of Okotoks.

Westmount has seen it's share of growing pains. In 2015-16 & 2016-17, due to high enrollment numbers (810 students), we had to send our kindergartens to Big Rock Elementary School. It was a coordinating mess for many parents which left some students separated from their older siblings by going to two schools. In 2017-18, Westmount enrollment numbers went down low enough that our kindergartens were transferred back to where they belong, in Westmount. The last 2 years, our school feels whole, it's thriving, and working with all grades within in these walls.

Then we discovered that the Foothills School Division is planning to shuffle students again to make room for the new Meadow Ridge K-8. On the chopping block is Cimarron Springs, Cimarron Vista and Cimarron Gardens will be forced to send our children to Big Rock Elementary School and our junior high students to Okotoks Junior High, across town. And once again, Westmount parents are being asked to sacrifice their kids in this move.

"I'm saddened and angry by the proposal to split Cimarron between Westmount and Big Rock."

"Why would you send our kids to a school twice as far? It makes no sense and our kids will not be able to walk or bike to school due to the distance."

"My kids have gone to Westmount for the past 7 years. With my oldest in Jr. High, it would be unfair to take him away from friends and the school they know."

"The change to the Westmount boundary does the opposite of maximizing "walk-ability"! I bought my current house 3 months ago so my 2 kids (age 6 and 11) can walk to Westmount together. The new boundary destroys that option for them."

As parents, we know this will cause undue stress, anxiety & trust issues and could be detrimental to their learning because we have already seen what moving students around can do to our children. Our children will be separated from their neighbourhood friends, classmates and teachers. Our children will not be able to independently walk to and from school. Coordinating for some parents will be a nightmare to get their children to 2 different schools due to work or they don't drive or other valid reasons. This move will be the second or 3 time for some of our children.

"We have already been moved from Big Rock. One of our kids started in Big Rock, then moved to Westmount. Now she would have to move again. We haven't moved house but she's moved schools."

"The point of RESALE of ALL homes in Cimarron Springs, Vista and Gardens could be affected especially when most of us bought our homes, our children were promised to go to Westmount, not to be bussed to Big Rock School."

"The new Westmount boundary no longer follows your realignment guidelines of using natural boundaries."

When I learned of this plan and told my son that he may have to go Big Rock, his little body deflated and started to have a panic attack. He was saying, "Mommy, I can't go. I finally made friends. I love my school." between his sobs. And I'm not the only parent that upon hearing this news, their children too, melted down.

We ask you to reconsider the Westmount School Boundaries. Cap Westmount School and keep our students grandfathered in with their school.

"We helped create the Wolfpack, keep us there!"

Please sign this petition and help spread the word. Remember, the meeting is Jan 24, 2019 at Dr. Morris Gibson, 6:45pm. Keep the pressure up!